Les Abencérages ou L’Étendard de Grenade

Synopsis

Fifteenth-century Granada, then under Moorish rule.

Act one

The whole city is preparing to celebrate the wedding of Almanzor, a warrior of the Abencerrage clan, to Princess Noraïme. But the vizier Alémar, of the rival Zegrí tribe, is plotting to prevent this prestigious marriage. He can count on the support of the standard-bearer Octaïr. The splendour of the festivities, held in the Court of the Lions in the Alhambra, is further enhanced by the presence of the famous Spanish warrior Gonzalo de Córdoba, sent by his king as a token of friendship. Suddenly, the wedding is interrupted by alarming news: the peace between Moors and Spaniards has been broken. Almanzor therefore leaves to do battle and receives the standard of Granada from Alémar.

Act two

Anxiously, Noraïme waits in her apartments for the return of Almanzor, who has defeated the Spaniards. But when he appears, he is filled with dismay: the standard has vanished, and his loss of it condemns him to death. Before the Council of Elders, he accuses the Zegrí Octaïr, to whom he had given custody of the treasure. Almanzor’s comrades-in-arms produce the hero’s trophies to demonstrate his valour and manage to get the sentence commuted: Almanzor is condemned to exile and will only be executed if he returns to Granada without the precious banner. The Zegrí triumph, becoming sole masters of the city.

Act three

Almanzor returns to Granada in disguise in order to see his beloved Noraïme again. The two lovers meet in the gardens of the Alhambra and decide to flee together, but are surprised by the Zegrí. Almanzor is taken prisoner, while Alémar gloats as he foresees his enemy’s ruin. On the day of the execution, Noraïme appeals to the law for redress: a warrior may become Almanzor’s champion and save him from death by fighting one of the Zegrí in single combat. She is accompanied by a man whose face is concealed and who wears the colours of the Abencerrages. The warrior is victorious in the ordeal and then unmasks himself: it is Gonzalo, who returns with the stolen standard, hands over the traitor Octaïr and reveals Alémar’s perfidy to all.